Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-07
CHAPTER XIII

"You have some influence over Agnes. Try
what you can do, Henry, to make her take
sensible view Of the matter. There is really
nothing to make a fuss about. NV wife's
maid knocked at her door early in the morn
ing, with the customary cup of tea. Getting
no answer, she went round to the dressing
room, found the door on that side unlocked,
and discovered Agnes on the bed in fainting
tit. With my wifes help they brought her
to herself again, and she told the extraorti-
nary story which have just repeated to you
You must have seen for yourself that she has
been overfatigued, poor thing, by our long
railway journeys; her nerves are out of order,
and she is just the person to be easily terrified
by dream. She obstinately refuses, how
ever, to accept this rational view. Don't sup
pose that have been severe with her. All that
man can do to humor her have DONE |
have written to tine countess lin her assumed
name, offering to restore the room to her.
She writes back, positively declining to re-
turn TO it. l have accordingly arranged $50
as not to have the thing known in tine hotell
to occupy the room for one or two nights.
and to leave Agnes to recover her spirits
under my wifes care Is there ANYTHING
more that | can do. Whatever questions
Agnes has asked of me, l have answered to
the best of my ability; she knows all that
you told me about Francis and the countess
last night
But try as | may can't quiet her mind.
have given up the attempt in despair, and
left her in the drawing room Go, like
good fellow, and try what you can do to
compose herr
In those words Lord Montbarry stated the
case to his brother from the rational point of
view. Henry made no remark, be went
straight to the drawing room.
He found Agnes walking rapidly back
ward and forward, flushed and excited. "If
you come here to say what your brother has
been saying to me-" she broke out, before he
could speak, spare yourself the trouble
don't want common sense-I want a true
friend who will believe in me-"
Il am that friend, Agnes" Henry an
swered, quietly, "and you know it."
You really believe that am not deluded
by dreamr
II know that you are not deluded-in one
particular, at least"
"In what PARTICULAR"
"ln what you have said of the countess. 1t
is perfectly true
Agnes stopped him there. "Why do only
hear this morning that the countess and Mrs.
James are one and the same person7" she asked
distrustfuhy. Why was not told of it last
| nightF
"You forget that you had accepted the ex-
change of rooms before reached Venice, "
Henry replied. II felt strongly tempted to tell
you, even then-but your sleeping arrange
ments for the night were all made; should
only have inconvenienced and alarmed you.
l waited till the morning, after hearing from
my brother that you had yourself seen tc
| your security from any intrusion. How that
intrusion was accomplished it is impos-
sible to say. l can only declare that the
countess presence by your bedside last night
was no dream of yours. On her own au-
thority can testify that it was reality"
"On her own authority" Agnes repeated,
eagerly. slave you seen her this morningF'
a have seen her not ten minutes SINCE
"What was she doing."
"She was busily engaged in writing. I
could not even get her to look at me until I
| thought OF mentioning your name"
"She remembered ME, Of courseg'
"She remembered you with some diilicu,ty.
| Finding that she wouldn't answer me on any
| other terms, questioned her as if had come
direct from you. Then she spoke. She not
| only admitted that she had the same super.
stitious motive for placing you in that room
| which she had acknowledged to Francis-she
| even owned that she had been by your bed
side, watching through the night, to SCI
| what you saw as she expressed it. Hearing
this, tried to persuade her to tell me how
she got into th" room. Unluckily, her manu-
script on the table caught her eye; she re
turned to her writing. The. baron want
money she said, i must get On with my
| play What she saw, or dreamed, while sh'
was in your room last night, it is at presen
impossible to discover. But, Judging by m,
brothers account OF her, as well as by what
remember Of her myself, some recent influ
ence has been at work which has produced
marked change in this wretched woman fo
the worse. Her mind is, in certain respects
unquestionably deranged One proof of it |
that she spoke to me of the baron as il b
were still living man. When Francis say
her, she declared that the baron was dead
which is the truth. The United States consu
at Milan showed US the announcement O. th
death in an American newspaper So far q
/ can see, such sense as she still possesse
seems to be entirely absorbed in one absur
idea-the idea of writing play for Franci
to bring out at his theatre He admits tha
he encouraged her TO hope she might Il
money in this way. ] think lie did wrong
Don't you agree with meF
Without needing the question, Agnes ros
abruptly from her chair.
ss1Yo me one more Kindness: Henrys q